"Wellllll," Alistair says. It's not a good kind of well. "There were some weird ones before, in the Anderfels, but that was, um."

Nebulous. One small strange thing in a long series of strange things, a very long time ago, back when informants were exploding in Hossberg and small Ander princes were being kidnapped. Reported to someone, somewhere, probably?

But Wardens are tight-lipped. Everyone knows how that is. Or if they don't, then they get to find out, right now, because he stops that sentence entirely and begins a new one.

"They've been trying to grow the stuff in everything. The ground, giants, kidnapped villagers..." That's not helpful. "But it only takes in Templars, doesn't it, because they're already half lyrium. I don't think darkspawn are." Probably. Store that under alarming thoughts for later. "We might learn more from a living one."